The Dark Cloud and the Ray of Light
by Moonlight97
Summary: We all know the story of Link who left his forest with his fairy companion, Navi, to save Hyrule, so here is a different view of it. Around the time of the Great Deku Tree's curse, Princess Zelda has a strange dream, and is faced with Hyrule's future when Ganondorf comes before the King to set an allegiance, but how can she stop them when her own father doesn't believe her? Oneshot


**Disclaimer; I don't own The Legend of Zelda.**

The Dark Cloud and the Ray of Light

In an eastern forest in the Kingdom of Hyrule, there was a young kokiri who didn't have a fairy, and he was teased and made fun of because of this, and little did he know that one day he would depart on a quest to save the land from destruction from an evil man named Ganondorf. But the kokiri wasn't the only one with problems and destiny. This chaos affected many people and tribes, but the princess of the land saw what was bound to come when many people didn't. This is her story about a strange dream followed by the appearance of a man from the desert that would change her life forever…

She was looking at the spread of land from the plains and she knew everything was at peace. The sun shone down on the green grass below her feet. She could see the tall white spires of her father's castle reaching up for the heavens, and the only thing taller than the palace was Death Mountain behind Kakariko town next to it. The gray smoke ring around the volcano's mouth insured the mountain's calm, and she could see Lon Lon Ranch to her left. The small farm was a safe haven in the center of the plains, and Talon would bring their prized milk to the castle sometimes. The forest was sleeping behind her, and even from her place in the field, she could see the light of day falling in between the trees and onto the ground beneath the leafy canopy.

She knew the woods to be called the Lost Woods, for there were stories that whoever enters it would become lost in the endless turns and slowly become monsters trying to find their way out. But she knew too, the tales of the kokiri tribe who lived next the Lost Woods. They were the forest children guided by fairy guardians and looked after by the Great Deku Tree.

The plains soon became unusually quiet, and the young princess had a terrible feeling about it… Dark clouds then drifted quickly over the very land she stood under, and cover the entire kingdom until the sky became as dark as night. She didn't know why, but this was a great concern and she found herself frightened to the core of her stomach. She held a feeling that this wasn't just a spread of unwanted weather, but something much darker and sinister. Her fears were confirmed when she noticed the gray ring around Death Mountain burst into a fiery red like the dark omen inflamed an infected wound in the volcano. The princess feared for her family and her people, and as a cold wind swept low on the plain and caused a shiver to run through her, she felt alone and scared like she was the only person left on the world.

But then something happened. It started with a soft beam from the sun that pierced a hole in the cloud cover, and from there it slowly grew wider and wider. The princess's fears began to dissipate with the spreading of light and retreating clouds. The Kingdom became warmer, and the cold wind was replaced by a gentle breeze that brought her a sigh of relief. The fiery ring over the mountain, too, found peace in the sun's long awaited rays and calmed back down to a smoky gray… Soon the clouds were completely gone and her castle glowed against the sky like it did before. What was the cause for this sudden light, or even the dark clouds in the first place? She suddenly wondered…

She woke in a cold sweat like she suffered a nightmare. The young princess was now lying in her comfy, large bed in her own room, and she sat up to ponder the dream she just had. _Why would I have a dream like that? _She thought to herself. Her room was dark and quiet, and she could see out her window by her desk and bookshelf. It was still night outside… Her blonde hair clung to her head in messy knots. Why did the dark clouds upset her so, and why did they suddenly retreat from the sun's rays?

_It was just a dream… Was it? Dreams can cause emotions for little reason, but… It didn't feel like a dream. _She thought once more to the details she saw and felt. It didn't feel like it was happening in the present like a lot of dreams do, but rather it seemed to her that it was about to happen sometime in the future. _This is a sign of bad things to come! _She pulled her blankets back and walked over to her window. She had a clear view of Hyrule from way up, and saw the castle town market, plains, and ranch in the distance. The sky was clear and beautiful white stars twinkled to match the moon's bright light shining down. All looked peaceful and prosperous, but she wasn't relaxed and her thoughts kept drifting back to the dream. _Hyrule is in danger!_ _I have to let everyone know!_ She then turned and went for the door before stopping herself.

Was she crazy? If she woke up everyone in the castle in the middle of the night to tell them of a dream, what would they think of their future ruler? She stood in the middle of her room in nothing but her light blue nightgown. She was now too worried to go back to bed, but who could she talk to about this? _Impa, _she decided, _she would understand and take my fears from there._

She started for the door again, slowly pushed it back, and stuck her head out. The hallway was empty and soundless, but she still crept as silently as possible out of her room. If she was to be caught out of her room at night she would be in a lot of trouble. She slowly went down the turning staircase and came to another hallway, but this one was wider and had several doors. She knew without hesitance which door led to her dear nursemaid's room and the princess's bare feet crossed the red carpet and to Impa's door.

She tried to not let the door make a sound as she opened it, and stepped into the dark room. It was not as nice as a room as hers, but its smaller size made it comfortable. She saw the form beneath the bed sheets and heard Impa's slow breathing as it filled the room. "Impa?" The princess called, and the sheikah yawned and settled into a different position.

"Impa," The princess called once more, and this time her nursemaid turned to look at her. Confusion and the lingering sleep fell onto Impa's face.

"Princess Zelda, why are you here? It's still in the middle of the night…"

"This will sound a bit odd, I know, but I had a strange dream…"

Upon hearing this, Impa sat up and listened closely. Zelda told her every detail about her dream; how the calm Kingdom suddenly became dark and how she was frightened by it only for it to flee from a welcoming light that brought peace back to the land.

Impa remained quiet for a time and gathered her thoughts. "Why are you telling me this?"

"Because it wasn't like a dream, and I think this a sign Hyrule is in danger."

"Like a prophecy?" Impa asked and Zelda nodded. "But who did this?"

"I don't know… Should I tell father?" The princess asked.

"Yes, you can tell him, but not tonight. You shouldn't be wandering around at this time."

"But what if something happens?"

"I believe you, princess, and the King needs to know about this, but nothing bad is going to happen tonight."

Zelda wanted to protest again, but said nothing and looked down worriedly before turning away. She heard the surface of the bed was disturbed and turned back to see Impa standing up. "Let's get you back to your room." The two of them stepped back out to the hallway and made their way up the staircase and back to Zelda's room. The princess crawled back into her bed and laid her head down on her pillow. "Do you think you can sleep?" Impa asked.

"Maybe, I don't know…" She admitted. "Do you think this will destroy the kingdom?"

Impa sat on the edge of the bedside and shook her head. "I don't believe this is the end of Hyrule. Don't forget about the light that chased the cloud away."

Zelda sighed, but still looked worried. "Okay…"

Impa smiled and began to sing Zelda's Lullaby like she would whenever the princess couldn't sleep at night. The sheikah's deep, beautiful voice took all the thoughts of the prophecy away and Zelda closed her eyes and soon fell asleep. When Impa noticed how calm the princess was, she slowly stood back up and closed the door quietly behind her…

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The next morning Zelda got up from bed, washed her face, changed into a regal pink dress, and brushed her hair before going down to the dining room. Impa and the King were already setting themselves at the table, and greeted the young princess when she joined them.

The servants brought in dish after dish until there was a large breakfast out before them on the large dining table. A fancy chandelier hung down from the tall ceiling above the tabletop, and the servants politely stood by the royal members as they ate.

"Princess," Impa said. "Is there anything you would wish to tell your father?"

"Yes, there is." She replied, and the King turned his attention to her. "Father, last night I had a dream where I was standing on the plains of Hyrule when a dark cloud covered the land, and the only thing that broke it apart was a ray of light… And I think this is a prophecy of what is to come."

"A prophecy…?" The King replied, "Of bad weather?"

"No, the cloud meant destruction on the Kingdom, but something, I don't know what yet, can save us from it."

The King began to shake his head and he dropped his fork down into his plate to reply to his daughter. "I don't know how to say this, but how do you think-"

"Excuse me, Your Majesty." A soldier came in and interrupted. "But we have a visitor who wishes to talk with His Highness, the King."

"Well, who is it?" He said with frustration rising in his voice.

"Chief Ganondorf Dragmire of the Gerudo Desert." Came the response.

The King sighed and stood from the table, and moved for the throne room. Zelda and Impa came as well and followed the ruler to the wide chamber. Guards lined the walls on either side of the red carpet leading to the single large seat at the end. Zelda and Impa stood next to the throne and the King sat down. "All right, bring him in!"

The large door to the opposite side of them swung open, and a tall dark man entered. He trotted across the carpet in long, confident strides and bowed down to the King sitting in the throne.

"Chief Ganondorf Dragmire," Said the King. "What brings you to my castle so early in the day?"

Zelda stared at the newcomer. Something about him just didn't feel right…

Ganondorf stood up politely and smiled. "Your Majesty, I came to your beautiful kingdom to talk with you about bringing our people together in alliance."

A chill suddenly fell down Zelda's spine and she felt a familiar sense of fright and worry. A feeling she felt when the clouds covered the land in her dream! He was the dark cloud! She was sure of it now! Zelda gasped at the realization and turned pale in the face.

"Princess, are you feeling all right?" Impa asked. Zelda stood breathless for a moment, but finally turned to her nursemaid and nodded.

"Where are your manners?" The King exclaimed. "We have a guest! Ganondorf, would you please excuse my dearest daughter?"

"Ah," Ganondorf turned to her without hesitance and bowed down once more, but this time much lower to the ground for the short princess. "So you are Princess Zelda! It is an honor to stand before you, and might I say you are lovelier than words do you justice. Are you going to take your father's place as ruler one day?"

When Zelda didn't reply, Ganondorf stood with a chuckle and turned back to the King. "There is nothing to be excused, so may we talk about a union with our people? We have always lived in the desert, and we may have been known to be master thieves and even took prisoners, but we are ready to move beyond our past and live peacefully with the Hylians."

"I don't see why not. This would be a better change for the kingdom, and both of our people could benefit from this decision with little or no downfalls… It sounds like an excellent idea! I will bring out the contracts tomorrow morning and we can begin to sign up on the new laws."

"Your Majesty," Ganondorf began, "I appreciate your approval, and I will be here by then." He bowed down to the King one final time and looked over at the princess. "Besides, I have important… Business to attend to."

That moment went slow for the confused princess, for the glare on his face was that of a traitor waiting to strike her father's kingdom at the perfect time. She knew he had no attentions on signing contracts for an allegiance between the peoples. He then turned sharply and strolled for the door where he came in. His dark cape billowing behind him as he walked out of sight…

"…That's him… He's the dark cloud! I can feel it!" Zelda exclaimed. "Father, you can't allow this; you have to send him back to where he came from."

"Zelda," Said the King. "I'm tired of this, and I don't know what game you are playing, but it needs to stop."

"It's not a game, the land is in danger!"

"How will he strike?" Impa asked, and Zelda opened her mouth to speak, but was stopped by the King's angered tone.

"Don't tell me you believe this, Impa! The only thing Ganondorf wants is a union with our people! I can't tell him no just because Zelda had a dream last night."

"She didn't have a dream, it was a prophecy. We have to watch the gerudo carefully, for we have had problems with them in the past, and it wouldn't be unlikely for the chief to trick us."

"I think you two are the ones tricking me right now, and you are her nursemaid! You need to keep my daughter straight with reality."

"We are not against you!" Impa returned. "And don't you dare to talk to her like that when she is the one who is concerned, not only for us, but for Hyrule as well. If the princess says Ganondorf is perilous, than you should trust her as much as I do."

"Stop fighting!" Zelda exclaimed. "We need to stay together to sort this out."

The King rose quickly from his throne. Impa didn't back down, but stood tall and crossed her arms, and waited for the King's decision. "I'm sorry if you had a bad dream, but as King, I have to consider the choices for my people, and setting an allegiance with the gerudo would mean no more prisoners and theft with them." And with that, he turned and walked out from the room without waiting for a response.

"Hyrule's fate rests with the King, and I don't think we can change his mind from this." Said Impa, her tone relaxed once more. "We have only more option. We have to find out what the ray of light was from."

Zelda remained quiet, and looked down sadly.

"Princess, we will do what we can." Impa reassured her. "If your father won't believe us, than we have to find a way to save Hyrule ourselves."

"I don't believe Ganondorf wants the throne alone." Zelda replied looking back up. "The cloud covered the whole of the Kingdom, and the ring over Death Mountain turned red with flame. The only way for him to cause complete destruction is if he's after the Triforce as well."

Impa was shocked. "He's after the Triforce? The fiend! The sacred triangle is well hidden in the Temple of Time, so how can we watch Ganondorf here and at the temple?"

"I don't know, but we have one of the artifacts to open the door to the temple with us. Impa, give me the Ocarina of Time, and I will hide it from him."

"You are wise to do so, princess." Impa replied, "I will bring the ocarina to you immediately." She then departed and left Zelda to her thoughts. _If Ganondorf lays his hands on the Triforce, the entire world would be in danger! We mustn't let that happen, even if Father says it's safe._

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Impa came to Zelda not long after with the Ocarina of Time and the young princess took it up in her room, and tried several places to hide the blue instrument from prying eyes. She placed it in her desk, but thought it to be too obvious, and then placed it under the bed, but removed it again. Finally, she pulled some books out from her shelf and set the instrument in the back of the bookshelf and then positioned the books in front of it.

The rest of the day was uneventful and full of worry, for Impa and Princess Zelda couldn't investigate much further without the King noticing. She wanted to find out what the ray of light was in her dream, the one that saved the land from danger, but the sun fell below the land and they still had not a clue about the rest of the prophecy.

By the time Zelda woke up the next morning, she knew her father was preparing the contracts and Ganondorf would be coming back any time. She got up and changed her clothes before heading to the study. She went down a few hallways, and walked until she came to a door where soldiers were standing by in full, shining armor on either side.

She opened it and looked in; her father was standing by a table and was reading some papers that he held in his hand, but he glanced over to the door when he heard it creak. "Zelda, what are you doing here?"

"I just thought you would be in here…" She replied nervously. "Are you readying the contracts for the gerudo chief?"

"Oh," He looked at the paper one last time before setting it down on the table. "Is that what's this about? Did you come here to give me advice about the 'evil' Ganondorf?"

"Father… You have to believe us! I don't want you to talk with him! He's dangerous, and I don't want him to hurt anyone…"

He began to shuffle through some more scrolls and glancing at them looking for the right one. "He's not going to hurt anyone." He stated in a powerful voice. "Didn't you hear him? He only wants a better life for his people like any good king, or queen, should want. We had this talk yesterday, and I will not repeat myself, but you can't change my mind. I can't believe you would accuse this man of bad things over a dream and for Lady Impa to follow you on this." He stopped talking and began to read the scroll he was shuffling for. The room became really quiet, only the sound of paper remained, and for a moment, the King expected his daughter to continue the argument, but the silence went on…

He removed his eyes from the contract and looked at where Zelda stood. She held her hands in front of her and was staring down at the smooth marble flooring. The King suddenly felt sorry for her and dropped the papers on a pile and strode over to her. "My dear princess…" He bent low and wrapped his arms around her. "It will be all right, you will see. One day when you are queen, you will understand, but for now don't worry yourself about this…"

He held her on the shoulders and lifted her chin up to see her face. She looked at her father with her deep blue eyes that were full of wisdom and caring. "You don't have to go out there with me." He said quietly. "…You will make a strong leader, and I wish you all the right choices and happiness in your rule…" He smiled kindly and stood up. Zelda watched him as he went back to the table and sorted through the paper once more. Without another word, the young princess turned to the door and left. The King stared at the closed door, and he was alone in the room once again.

She swiftly walked down the hallways, not really knowing where to go. But she soon opened another door which led outside and she past many more guards in their patrol before she found herself in the castle courtyard. The castle wrapped around this small area, and butterflies and other bugs flew down to the many flowers growing in the green grass. A short and shallow moat rounded the yard and the reflective water flowed gently in and out of the garden. Zelda walked to the end and sat on the steps before the window looking into the throne room.

She felt hopeless. Her father was going to fulfil the beginning of the prophecy and there was nothing she could do about it… She felt the bile rising up in her throat and a single tear fell down onto her pink dress. Birds sang happily all around her, completely unaware of the coming destruction and the garden with its colorful flowers and gentle water did little to calm her.

She sat there for quite a while and stood when her worry began to fall somewhat. Impa always tried to reassure her and told her the Kingdom would survive and not all hope was lost. The shiekah was serene most of the time, and she would look to the bright side of every situation, but she was right, Ganondorf won't be able to open the Door of Time without the Ocarina of Time that Zelda hid in her room.

Zelda turned behind her, Ganondorf would be in the throne room any minute now… She walked up to the window and peered in. She couldn't see the throne or her father, but she could see the guards flanking the red carpet. She would see the gerudo when he came in… She watched the uneventful room for some time and still he didn't show.

She heard someone stepping into the courtyard and stopped behind her. Who could that be? She didn't tell anyone she was coming back here, but yet again, Impa always seemed to know where she was at any given time. "Impa?" Zelda asked and turned around, but who stood before her was not Impa.

A young boy about her age looked up at her. He wore a green tunic from the forest and a small fairy stayed by his side. Zelda's heart jumped from the shock of a stranger coming into the castle. "Oh my," She exclaimed. "You're not Impa! Who are you, and how did you get past the guards?"

"Please, don't throw me out!" The boy replied. "It's important that I speak to the princess. I'm Link, and this is Navi." He looked up to the fairy hovering next to him.

Zelda looked at him in silence, and she knew exactly who this was. She saw him like a beam of sunlight breaking up the dark clouds that covered her father's Kingdom until the land returned to normal. "All right, I won't call out." She said calmly, and Link visibly relaxed and let out a sigh of relief. "Your name sounds strangely familiar… But I don't know you, do I…?" She asked, and Link just stared at her curiously. A moment of silence passed and the princess spoke again. "I am Zelda, princess of Hyrule. What do you need?"

"I'm supposed to bring this to you." He said and removed a green stone from his pocket.

"Is this the Kokiri's Emerald?" She asked as Link came up the stairs and handed it to her.

Link nodded. "Yes, the Great Deku Tree wanted me to give it to you. He said the man from the black desert, who cursed him, wanted this stone…" He replied.

"The Great Deku Tree said the Triforce was in danger." Navi filled in.

Zelda let out a gasp. "'Man from the black desert'? You mean Ganondorf?"

"Yeah!" Link exclaimed. "You know him, Princess Zelda?"

"Unfortunately, I do. He came from the Gerudo Desert in the west to meet with my father about an allegiance, but I already know he's after the Triforce. I had a dream of the land of Hyrule where dark clouds came and covered the Kingdom, I know this now to be Ganondorf, and the land was in destruction before a ray of light pierced through the dark cover and chased it away. This was a prophecy, so I warned Father, but he doesn't believe me… If we don't find a way to stop him, Ganondorf will have the entire Kingdom!" Zelda looked at the pair seriously and continued. "Link, how much do you know about the Triforce?"

"Not much," Link admitted.

"Well, then let me start from the beginning; before the world existed, three goddesses came to where Hyrule would be. The first one, Din, Goddess of Power, sculpted the earth, and the second one, Nayru, Goddess of Wisdom, brought order through the impeding chaos, and the Farore, the Goddess of Courage gave life to the land, plants, people, and animals. Now their work was complete, and they left to return to heaven, but they left behind the Golden Pyramid, the Triforce, and the surrounding land became the Sacred Realm. The Triforce has every element the Goddesses had, Power, Wisdom, and Courage, and also enables anyone who touches it a wish. It will grant any wish the user has, wither it's good or bad, and many people sought to have it themselves and searched with greed until many wars broke out. To stop the wars over the Triforce, the people built a temple over the entrance, the Temple of Time, and within it today, the door is sealed by the Door of Time.

The only way to open it is to find the three Spiritual Stones, Zora's Sapphire, Goron's Ruby, Kokiri's Emerald, and finally to play the Song of Time with the Ocarina of Time passed down in the Royal Family. When all of this is done, the door will open."

"So if we get to the Triforce first, then we will ruin Ganondorf's plans." Link reasoned.

"You mean to say you believe me?" Zelda replied, a smile spreading on her face. "Thank you, it means so much to me. I was looking through this window into the throne room waiting to see Ganondorf. He's supposed to be here again today…" She stepped to the side so Link could look through the window.

Ganondorf stepped back into the castle and followed the carpet on the floor before bowing down to the King sitting in the throne before him. He always felt like he was being watched in the castle, but he knew this time it was someone else… He turned his head at the window in the wall and saw into the courtyard where a young boy he didn't know stared back at him. The child's eyes widened at the sight of the gerudo chief and he stepped quickly away from the window. Who is he, and why is he in the castle courtyard?

"Your Majesty, it is an honor to be back." Ganondorf rose up on his feet again. "Where is the young princess?"

The King replied with a sigh. "She's not here. I have no idea where she is, but we had a bit of an argument…"

"I'm sorry to hear that,"

"Yes, she had a dream the night before and is now, as odd as it sounds, convinced you are after my throne. That child is always full of surprises!" He gave a sad chuckle.

"Really?" Ganondorf asked in a serious tone and looked back at the window again. _So the Princess Zelda knows about me, and what I am to do… Her father doesn't believe her, luckily, but I must watch her carefully from now on… _"That is surprising. The poor princess must be frightened with the belief."

"She is, and I have tried to tell her how silly it all seems, but she's a good girl and a while from now she'll see that dreams shouldn't choose the destiny of the kingdom. But don't let me ramble on! We are here to talk about the alliance."

Meanwhile in the castle courtyard, Zelda knew Ganondorf appeared within the room just from the look on Link's face and the way he backed away from the window. "I think he saw me!" He exclaimed.

Zelda remained calm. "Don't worry; he has no idea that we know what he's up to."

"Princess," Link turned to look at her. "What if I find the other two stones and return?"

"You would do that? Oh, thank you! We already have the Ocarina of Time and the Kokiri's Emerald, so you would need to find the Goron's Ruby and the Zora's Sapphire. Here, this should come in handy…" She gave him back the Emerald and removed a piece of paper and wrote a letter with her autograph and also gave it to him. She then saw in the corner of her eye, Impa standing near the entrance of the courtyard. The nursemaid smiled warmly at the children like she knew Link was the light in the prophecy. "That's my nursemaid, Impa." Zelda told Link as he, too, looked over at her. "She'll show you the way back out, and Link… I wish you a safe journey, and be careful."

He smiled, his blue eyes sparkling with excitement and determination and he nodded before walking down the stairs and approaching the tall shiekah. _When Link comes back,_ Zelda thought, _not only will we stop Ganondorf, but all evil if I have the Sacred Realm… Link will save us all; he is the ray of light that can chase away Ganondorf, the dark cloud, from Hyrule._

**Author's note: Thank you for reading, and I would strongly appreciate if you would take a second or two for a review. Wither it's one word, or one paragraph, your opinion is important. Tell me what you thought. **


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